Corporal Theodore Dennis Wolf, Sr., Maryland State Police, Maryland

Corporal Theodore Dennis Wolf, Sr.

Maryland State Police, Maryland

End of Watch Thursday, March 29, 1990

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Theodore Dennis Wolf, Sr.

Corporal Theodore Wolf was shot and killed during a traffic stop on I-95 near the Route 175 interchange in Jessup, Maryland.

He stopped a vehicle for speeding and approached the driver to get his license. Unbeknownst to him, the vehicle had just been stolen from Alexandria, Virginia, but had not yet been reported.

After Corporal Wolf obtained the driver's license, he went back to his patrol car to get his summons book. As he did so, the driver approached him, introduced himself as a former police officer, and presented his credentials. Corporal Wolf admitted him to the passenger side of the patrol car as he began to write him a warning for speeding. When the driver saw that he was being issued a warning, he pulled out a gun and shot Corporal Wolf in the jaw. The suspect then stuck the gun in Corporal Wolf's mouth and fired again, killing him instantly.

The suspect and his passenger grabbed Corporal Wolf's warning book and fled. They abandoned and burned the car and the book in Baltimore County, and then arranged to return home to New York. They were arrested in New York after bragging to an informant that they had murdered Corporal Wolf. Both suspects were charged for their roles in the incident and convicted. One suspect has since been paroled, and the other is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Trooper Wolf had served with the Maryland State Police for 16 years. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Bio

Age 40
Tour 16 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber
Offender Sentenced to life

traffic stop

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I met Trooper Wolf on Thursday afternoon, December 24, 1987. I had just left work early for Christmas Eve, and was traveling southbound on Interstate 95 in the vicinity of 212, heading to my parents home in Adelphi. Trooper Wolf pulled me over for speeding in my 1987 Ford Mustang GT 5.0. I don't recall the speed he claimed I was doing, but I have no doubt he was correct. I do remember he let me sit in the passenger seat of his cruiser, and we had a nice conversation about my Mustang. He was curious about the then-new model and I think he appreciated cars, like I do. He was so polite, so professional and so likable. He gave me a ticket for speeding, and when I got home, I told my Mom about the incident and said that the trooper, Ted Wolf, was such a great man and made receiving a ticket such a pleasant experience, that it was almost an honor receiving a ticket from him. Unlike all my other traffic violations, which I always challenged, I happily paid this one. Trooper Wolf was a special man and exactly the kind of person we need in law enforcement. I remember how shocked and saddened I was when I heard his name on the news a couple years later. To this day I make a donation to my local POA in Trooper Wolfs name. I hope his wife and kids know what a special person he was. R.I.P.

Thomas L. Michael
Citizen

December 7, 2024